No need of reservoirs for lift-irrigation schemes, says Shashidhar Reddy team

Thu, Jul 14, 2016, 05:07 PM

Marri Shashidhar Reddy, chairman, Forum for Utilization of the Godavari Waters and of Dr M Channa Reddy Memorial Trust, has observed that there is no need to have reservoirs like Mallannasagar for pumping water in a lift irrigation project and only an intake well or a big sump will be sufficient.

Shashidhar Reddy, accompanied by Prof. K Purushotham Reddy, Dr Indrasena Reddy and G Niranjan visited the Jawahar Lal Nehru Lift Irrigation Project Feeder II in Jhajjar district in Haryana on July 13 in the wake farmers’ opposition to part with their lands for the much-talked about Mallannasagar project in Medak district.

In a pressnote here on Thursday, the Sashidhar Reddy team said, “Many experts, including those from the Telangana Retired Engineers’ Forum and former Advisor to the United Nations on Irrigation T. Hanumanth Rao, have expressed their view that there is no need to construct large reservoirs like Mallannasagar and Pamulaparthy.

"Some of them have also claimed that the project cost could be brought down by a whopping amount of Rs 25,000 crores. The instance of the successful functioning of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Lift Irrigation Project in Haryana without any reservoirs has also been cited, to justify their argument."

Shashidhar Reddy pointed out that the need and justification of large reservoirs for lift-irrigation schemes, in general, was being seriously debated. Mallannasagar has become highly controversial as the State government has embarked upon forcible land acquisition.

“We have been following the developments as we have serious reservations on this issue. We thought it would be better to make an on-the-spot study of the JLN Lift Project in Haryana to gain first-hand knowledge about it. We will discuss with experts after we return to Hyderabad and firm up our stand, which we will be announcing on July 16," he added.

He also said they would visit Yetigadda Kistapur, along with concerned experts, to look into some other aspects of reservoir safety and so on about which there had been no discussion so far, he added.